Infrastructure · Data Structures
Decision
Irrevocable selection from a set of options
Definition
Mechanism
The cognitive act of committing to a specific Option after weighing alternatives. It transforms a set of possibilities into a single committed trajectory using Select. Unlike a simple filter, a Decision implies the resolution of ambiguity and the assumption of consequences.
Invariants
- Selection: Must choose exactly one option from the available set.
- Irrevocability: Once made, the decision cannot be unmade without a new Decision process.
Risks
Failure modes
None stated.
Relationships
Builds on
Used by
References
Mind
Before dismissing a distinction as too complicated, state what decision it would change
Mind
Postponing decisions until more information available
Mind
Calculating the economic value of reducing uncertainty
Society
Treat the needs of future people as claims that a present decision must weigh and answer
Society
Record what each piece of consultation input changed in the decision
Mind
Rapid, low-cost decision making via pattern recognition
Mind
Preventing results-oriented thinking
Society
Analyzing intent-outcome divergence
Society
Explain a decision in the terms of each value set it affects, without pretending they share one justification
Society
Keep the reasons behind a shared decision readable by everyone it binds
Mind
Safety-first decision making based on loss avoidance
Mind
Optimizing for speed via threshold acceptance
Mind
Qualify the opposition, then release only if the conclusion remains robust
Mind
Rationality over historical investment
Mind
Exchange of consequences
Yields
Mind
Four tests of a decomposition against a stated claim frame: each candidate dimension must pass Necessity, Independence and Universality, and the accepted set must pass Completeness
Society
Supervised bypass of a failed acceptance gate, cryptographically logged
Filter payload if the target condition is not met
Mind
Mint only after use creates recorded friction
Mind
Prior-art gate for adding patterns
Generic Red/Yellow/Green flow control
Reference
Data schema
{
"type": "object",
"description": "A committed choice — artifact recording which option was selected.",
"required": [
"option",
"committed_at"
],
"properties": {
"option": {
"type": "string"
},
"committed_at": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time"
},
"rationale": {
"type": "string"
},
"reviewer": {
"type": "string"
}
}
}